State to decide on Metro extension in 15 days

With less than a year left for Parliament elections in May 2014, the Haryana government has woken up to the city’s need for Metro extension. A high-level meeting was held between the officials of the Haryana government and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in this regard in New Delhi on Monday.

According to a senior DMRC official, the Haryana government is thinking on all four options (routes) for Metro extension. Officials said a final decision on one of the four routes will be taken in the next meeting after 15 days.

“The government is considering all options (routes) suggested by the DMRC officials and the Gurgaon residents but this will be clear after a fortnight,” said Praveen Kumar, administrator, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda).

The Huda officials have not ruled out the possibility of Metro extension from Sector 21 Dwarka via the old Gurgaon.

“The possibility of expansion of the Huda City Centre Metro line via Sohna Road and Rajiv Chowk cannot be ruled out,” said a senior DMRC official.

The DMRC, in February 2012, had submitted a detailed project report of the high-speed Metro between Sector 21 in Dwarka and Iffco Chowk in Gurgaon. The Haryana government later rejected it in the wake of protests by Gurgaon residents, who demanded normal Metro extension via the old city, which is densely populated and has no Metro connectivity.

The meeting took place nearly one-and-a-half-years after the Haryana government showed interest in the Metro extension plan.

“We have been waiting for the Haryana government’s nod. Once we get its approval for the route, the DMRC will float a tender for the feasibility report to see the cost of the project, ridership, number of stations, etc,” said a DMRC official.